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Leira
Mother of All Illusion Lady of Mists Guardian of Deception | aspects = | pantheon = Faerûnian pantheon | home = | formerhomes = | gender = Feminine | died = 1358 DR (apparently) | dominion = | formerdominion = | mortalhomes = | apotheosis = | alignment = | class = | power5e = Deity | alignment5e = Chaotic neutral | symbol5e = Point-down triangle containing a swirl of mist | homeplane5e = | realm5e = | serves5e = | servedby5e = | portfolio5e = Illusion, deception | domains5e = Trickery | worshipers5e = Illusionists, liars, con artists | cleric alignments5e = | channel divinity5e = Invoke duplicity Cloak of shadows | holy days5e = | class5e = | refs5e = | power4e = | alignment4e = | symbol4e = | dominion4e = | realm4e = | serves4e = | servedby4e = | sphere4e = | domains4e = | worshipers4e = | cleric alignments4e = | channel divinity4e = | holy days4e = | class4e = | refs4e = | power3e = Dead power | alignment3e = Chaotic neutral | symbol3e = | homeplane3e = | realm3e = | serves3e = | servedby3e = | portfolio3e = Deception, illusion, Mist, Shadow | domains3e = Charm, Illusion, Spell, Trickery | worshipers3e = Illusionists, liars | cleric alignments3e = | favored weapon3e = Dagger | holy days3e = | class3e = | refs3e = | power2e = Lesser deity, presumed dead | alignment2e = Chaotic neutral | symbol2e = A cloudy gray triangle of mist, point downward | homeplane2e = Limbo | realm2e = The Courts of Illusion | serves2e = | servedby2e = | portfolio2e = Deception, illusion | spheres2e = All, Astral, Charm, Creation, Divination, Healing, Protection, Summoning, Time, Weather, minor: Chaos, Combat, Elemental, Guardian, Necromantic | worshipers2e = Illusionists, liars | cleric alignments2e = | holy days2e = | class2e = | refs2e = | power1e = Demigod | alignment1e = Chaotic neutral | symbol1e = A swirling gray triangle, point downward | homeplane1e = Limbo | realm1e = | serves1e = | servedby1e = | portfolio1e = Deception, illusion | worshipers1e = Illusionists | cleric alignments1e = | holy days1e = | class1e = | refs1e = }} Leira ( |alt=yes}}), also known as The Lady of Deception or The Lady of the Mists, was the goddess of deception and illusions and patroness of illusionists and liars. Personality She was an enigma, never telling the truth when falsehood would do. Everything she did and said was shrouded in layers of illusion and lies. She believed that truth was worthless and that misbelief and falsehood were what gave life meaning. Divine Realm Leira maintained a divine realm called the Courts of Illusion on the chaotic plane of Limbo. After her demise, her body was adrift on the Astral Plane, like those of other dead powers. Worshipers Leira had quite a small following. Her priests, known as Leirans, or Worshipers of the Mistshadow, wore silver masks and often disguised themselves to deceive those around them. Leirans would speak the truth only to other Leirans. High-level clerics of the Leiran faith were called Mistcallers. Every morning, and on every moonlit night, Leirans lay face down and prayed to the Lady of the Mists. If there was any mist, Leirans would walk through it and pray. The most revered act in the Leiran faith was the "Unmasking", a purification ritual performed when new followers entered the faith or if a follower changed rank. During the ritual, the follower would walk barefaced among its peers while the clergy would hold up candles and reflective surfaces. The highest concentration of Leira's followers could be found on the island of Nimbral and its vassal state Samarach. While the people of Nimbral rebelled against the influence of Leira's clergy, Samarach was still held under the sway of those who believed her still alive and many of her follower's practices were still in place. Not widely worshiped, the majority of her worshipers were users of illusion magic. While Leira may have had few dedicated followers, a worshiper of the Faerûnian pantheon often would pay homage to her before an important decision or judgment. Orders ;Mistcallers: : Specialty priests of Leira with limited powers of illusion, the Mistcallers were the clerical order most commonly associated with the church, though no one could be sure how many there were. ;Mistwalkers: : A sect of the church first appearing after the Time of Troubles, the Mistcallers continued to display the ability to cast divine magic, but were purposefully ambiguous about the "alleged" death of their goddess and whether their magic was granted by a living Leira or by Cyric. Relationships Leira's allies were Mask, who betrayed her, and Azuth. She was opposed by Oghma, as her lies were a hindrance to knowledge. History Months after the Avatar Crisis, Leira was slain by the new deity of death, Cyric, at the village Blackfeather Bridge, wielding the sword Godsbane, which was in fact an avatar of Mask. Her portfolios were subsequently absorbed by the mad god. Upon her death, her godly power erupted in a blast that reached her places of worship all across Faerûn. Motes of her divinity coalesced into incorporeal beings known as glamers. Some still believed Leira was alive and that she had used her death as a grand illusion, but the general consensus was that she was a dead power. By the late 15 century DR, it became known that Leira was in fact alive and delighted in the confusion created by rumors of her demise and return. At this time, the faithful of Cyric also considered her to be his daughter. Dogma Appendix Notes In the Player's Handbook 5th edition, Leira is listed in the "Deities of the Forgotten Realms" table, suggesting she is officially considered alive once more in the 5th-edition of the setting. References Sources * * * de:Leira Category:Chaotic neutral deities Category:Deception domain deities Category:Illusion domain deities Category:Mist domain deities Category:Shadow domain deities Category:Faerûnian pantheon Category:Human deities Category:Lesser deities Category:Trickery domain deities Category:Inhabitants of Limbo Category:Inhabitants of the Astral Plane Category:Inhabitants of the Outer Planes Category:Inhabitants of the Great Wheel planes Category:Inhabitants of the Courts of Illusion Category:Inhabitants of feminine gender